. Young folks' history of the civil war . d by Ewings brigade. The ditch- waspassed, the flag was planted on the parapet; but the bodiesof that brave band almost closed up the way before thetroops who pressed on to their support. Something hap-pened that day which shall be given in General Shermansown words ; for it shows not only a small boys courage, buta great soldiers gentleness. When the battle of Vicksburgwas at its height, on the 2 2d of May, and I was on foot, nearthe road which formed my line of attack, a young lad cameup to me, wounded and bleeding, with a good healthy boyscry, Gener
. Young folks' history of the civil war . d by Ewings brigade. The ditch- waspassed, the flag was planted on the parapet; but the bodiesof that brave band almost closed up the way before thetroops who pressed on to their support. Something hap-pened that day which shall be given in General Shermansown words ; for it shows not only a small boys courage, buta great soldiers gentleness. When the battle of Vicksburgwas at its height, on the 2 2d of May, and I was on foot, nearthe road which formed my line of attack, a young lad cameup to me, wounded and bleeding, with a good healthy boyscry, General Sherman, send some cartridges to ColonelMalmborg. The men are all out. — What is the matter,my boy ? I asked. They shot me in the leg, sir ; but I cango to the hospital. Send the cartridges right away. Evenwhere we stood, the shot fell thick; and I told him to go tothe rear at once, I would attend to the cartridges. Andoff he limped. Just before he disappeared over the hill, heturned and called out, as loud as he could, Caliber 54 !. PLANTING THE FLAG AT VICKSBURG. 1863. J Vicksbnrg. 379 And then this kind-hearted, busy man adds in his report hisopinion that such a faithful boy, wounded and so young,would make a man, which was high praise from such asource. This was one of the hardest fought battles of thecampaign. At last the colors of the Hundred and ThirtiethIllinois were planted on the counterscarp, or inner wall; butso deadly was the rain of bullets, that the Nationals couldget no farther. The colors floated there all day, neither sidebeing able to secure them. Of the thirty thousand Unionmen engaged in the second assault, one-tenth were killedor wounded. But the assault had failed. A soldier lefton the battle-field that night begged piteously for water;and, being near the Confederate intrenchments, his crieswere all directed to the Confederate soldiers. The firingwas heaviest where the boy lay, and it was at the risk of lifefor any one to go near him. Yet a Confedera
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